A Metford man has been thrown behind bars after he faced court over his involvement in a child sex offender network.
The 47-year-old came onto the radar of the Australian Federal Police as part of Operation Arkstone which was investigating an online chat group that shared child abuse material and encouraged one of the members to sexually abuse a child.
Officers swarmed the mans home on March 9, 2021, where he was arrested and phone seized.
He was linked to an earlier arrest of a New Lambton Heights man, who has also since been jailed.
The Metford man this week joined his friend behind bars for 2 years and 3 months, after he plead guilty to three related charges at Newcastle Local Court.
Detective Senior Constable Joanna Kolodziej said sexual abuse has a devastating and lifelong impact on the child victims and their families.
“It is heartbreaking to think of any child being sexually abused or exploited to satisfy an adult’s criminal impulses, but it strengthens our resolve to hunt down perpetrators and bring them to justice.
“People who prey on vulnerable children will be caught and put before the courts,” Det Snr-Constable Kolodziej said.